Tag: Violence

Just assume that if you are mentally healthy you will not kill anyone, or perhaps anything. If you are mentally ill, there is a possibility that you will kill someone or something. For the moment forget about self-defense killing. The nation is faced with regulating guns and/or fixing our mental health. As a society do we have a mental health problem? If a citizen never killed another citizen would we still have a problem with mental health. What is mental health? One thing for certain, is that when someone kills another person, the killer is likely to be mentally unhealthy. I think we can all agree on that proposition.

Now for the cure, or at least identifying the mentally unhealthy person likely to kill another person. For example, the following are three citizens of concern: Peter screams out, “Drop dead!” Murray hollers, “I could kill you!” Martha shouts, “I wish you were dead. I mean it!”. Peter owns a Ruger 22 rifle. Murray buys a Glock pistol. Martha purchases some rat poison. History has it that Peter was in child therapy when he was 8 years old for drowning a guinea pig in the toilet. Murray was discharged from the Army for sexual harassment of female officers. Martha has had a diagnosis of Bi-Polar disorder since she was 19 years of age, and several suicide attempts.

Peter, Murray and Martha were all passengers on the Orient Express. Who did it?

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Roy Moore, the likely new senator from Alabama has a very loyal following. Perhaps as many as 30 percent of the citizens of Alabama. That probably equals about 67 voters – they are loyal. The reasons they hold firm in their support of Mr. Moore, are varied, but the most likely reasons are the following: Mr. Moore believes that homosexual behavior is illegal, and so do his followers. Mr. Moore believes in man/woman marriage, and so do his followers. Mr. Moore believes in the right to carry arms, and so do his followers. Mr. Moore believes in preserving the Civil War statues, and so do his followers, and Mr. Moore believes that a ten commandments sculpture should stand on the state capital grounds, and so do his followers. Mr. Moore is a down home, god fearing, family man, and he was fairly granted the Republican candidacy. And one more thing. Mr. Moore is a Republican. Mr. Moore is not a Democrat. The distinction is not only a label. For many the distinction is as profound as that between gay and straight, or Black and White, No and Yes, or a 31-year-old pervert and a 14-year-old cheer leader.

In Newtown, Connecticut, five and ten year old children were shot not once, but multiple times with a .223 caliber bullet.

“When the Bushmaster .223 Caliber Assault Rifle hit human targets it tumbled forward into tissue and shattered creating large, internal wounds… Another “nice touch” was that the bullet would sometimes ricochet off bone and bounce around inside the body, shattering into tiny hard-to-remove fragments (which promoted internal bleeding) and ripping sizable hunks of internal tissue away. A human being can die a slow and horrible death from internal bleeding.” (copy from Blowback.223byDaleSteinreich www.lewrockwell.com/orig/steinreich6)

Dare to imagine the consequences of such an attack on the body of a child. The children were massacred, mutilated and not simply killed. Dare to stay with such images and contrast such imagery with the concerns of protecting gun ownership, second amendment rights and yes, a “well regulated Militia”.

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Six dead and several injured children in a school bus crash in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During an interview with a woman who lived on the street of the crash, she said that she saw a child lying on the ground, and it was God’s will that led her to help the child. The woman went on to say that all the neighbors joined to help. She once again attributed that helpful gathering to God’s presence.

Where was God several minutes prior to the crash? What was he watching over as the driver increased his speed? Where was he when the driver decided to take an unauthorized route? Was he preparing to watch the Macy day parade and make it safe? Was he lost in thought about the bombing in Aleppo? Was he cleaning the lead pipes in Flint, Michigan? What was God attending to. Clearly God has a lot to do in one day. But give credit, when credit is due. Good credit, or bad credit. You may not believe it, but God can be blasphemed. God can handle wailing. God can handle the greatest ill will that you can muster. God can handle the good, the bad and the ugly. God is truly powerful, flexible and always forgiving. God will be there the next day. God isn’t moving not now, not ever, so give God your best shot!

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Gary Johnson was correct when he said “What is Aleppo.” Gary Johnson may have amazed millions of MSNBC viewers, but Gary Johnson spoke to a different reality. Like it or not, there is no Aleppo. Aleppo is no more. After years of barrel bombs, poison gas, millions of mortar shells, machine gun bullets, underground mines, dynamited buildings, and jet bombers destroying every structure over and over, the grand city of Aleppo is no more. No medicine, morphine, bandages, plasma, and no standing clinics and hospitals. No flowing water, no electricity, and barely any food. Food that is available is outrageously costly. Once a glorious Syrian city with more than 2 million citizens, but now just several thousands of adults and children huddled in cellars with air full of the fumes of burning oil, and decaying bodies. Aleppo is no more. Just as Carthage is no more. And the 10th century Turkish city of Ani is no more, and Jordan’s ancient city of Petra is long gone. Perhaps, Gary Johnson was truly blindsided by the inquiry. Perhaps he had a senior moment of dull. Perhaps he spoke out of ignorance, but in fact Aleppo joins ancient cities that are long gone. And so, “what is Aleppo” is not so strange.

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About This Blog

Reflections of a Shrink is a collection of thoughts and musings from my 46 years as a Clinical Psychologist. My practice began with a focus on helping parents of developmentally delayed children and it has evolved into one of treating the complete range of child, adolescent, and adult dysfunctional behaviors. I have treated toddlers to senior citizens; ranging on issues of child abuse to admitted homicide. My writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Record, Sixteen Magazine, Penelope Magazine and New Jersey Singles. My media appearances include ABC’s Good Morning New York, NBC’s John Davidson Show, Arts & Entertainment Network’s Women’s Day, Court TV’s Both Sides, and Court TV with Nancy Grace.